Biography
Dr Rofayda ElHout is an Assistant Professor of Accounting at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, where she teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in accounting and finance. She serves as the technological lead for Bloomberg and Refinitiv integration, supporting the development of applied financial skills. Her academic expertise lies in financial accounting, auditing, and corporate governance, with a special interest in ESG reporting and industry integration in higher education. Dr ElHout contributes to curriculum development and academic quality assurance, ensuring programmes align with international accreditation standards and industry expectations.
Dr Rofayda ElHout's research focuses on corporate governance, fraud, audit, corporate performance, and sustainability reporting. Her recent publications explore the impact of sustainability-integrated reporting on firm performance in the UAE and examine the narratives within integrated reports concerning sustainable development goals. These studies contribute to understanding the role of sustainability reporting in enhancing corporate transparency and accountability. Beyond sustainability, Dr ElHout also explores the interplay between corporate governance structures and financial performance, with particular attention to audit committee effectiveness, board independence, and executive compensation. She has presented at international conferences and contributed to Scopus-indexed journals, reinforcing her academic engagement and commitment to scholarly dissemination.
Academic leadership and affiliations
- Deputy Associate Executive Dean (Academic Quality)
- Global Course Leader
- Technological Lead for Bloomberg and Refinitiv Integration
Qualifications
- Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning – Heriot-Watt University (2023–2024)
- Master of Business Administration – Lebanese American University (2014–2015)
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) – New Hampshire Board of Accountancy, USA (2010)
- Bachelor in Business Administration – American University of Beirut (AACSB Accredited) (2006–2009)
- Mandarin Chinese – Hua Hsia Chinese School, London
Publications
- Grassa, R., Elhout, R., Rafeea, R., Hassan, O. Y., & Humaid Al Suwaidi, S. (2025). Sustainable development goals: investigation of the driving forces underlying the narratives in integrated reports. Society and Business Review.
- Grassa, R., ElHout, R., Rafiee, R., Hassan, O. Y., & Al Suwaidi, S. H. (2024). Do companies benefit from publishing sustainability-integrated reports? Evidence from the United Arab Emirates. Management & Sustainability: An Arab Review.
- ElHout, R. (2022). The Effect of Corporate Governance and Gender Diverse Board on the Lebanese Banks Financial and Social Performance. Economic and Social Development: Book of Proceedings, 485–497.
- Khattab, F., & El Hout, R. (2018). Accounting Professionals’ Perceptions of Ethics Education: Evidence From Lebanon. International Journal of Business and Management Studies, 7(2), 143–158.
- Jizi, M., Nehme, R., & ElHout, R. (2016). Fraud: auditors' responsibility or organisational culture. International Social Science Journal, 66(221–222), 241–255.